Chapter 25: Someone Else Wanted Her Seat
The rumor reached Shen Yuqi before the confirmation did.
She heard it in fragments—half sentences carried across cubicles, pauses that stretched too long when she approached, glances exchanged quickly and then hidden.
"She's only temporary, right?"
"I heard they're evaluating."
"There's another candidate."
She pretended not to hear.
At her desk, she focused on her work, fingers steady on the keyboard, expression neutral. But the words stayed with her, threading themselves through her thoughts.
Around eleven, Lin Xia slid into the chair beside her without asking.
"You didn't hear this from me," she said softly.
Yuqi didn't look up. "Then don't tell me."
Lin Xia sighed. "There's someone from headquarters. Senior assistant. Apparently very experienced."
Yuqi's fingers paused.
"How experienced?" she asked.
"Five years with executive teams. Fluent in three languages. Has opinions."
Yuqi exhaled slowly.
"So they're comparing."
"Yes."
She nodded once. "That makes sense."
It did.
She was new. Still learning. Temporary by definition.
What unsettled her wasn't the comparison—it was how much she cared.
By early afternoon, the office shifted again. People straightened their posture. Conversations hushed. Someone from HR walked past twice.
Li Wei exited his office, expression tight.
"Yuqi," he said. "I need you upstairs."
She followed without comment.
Inside the conference room, a woman stood by the table—poised, confident, impeccably dressed.
"This is Qiao Wen," Li Wei said. "She'll be observing operations today."
Qiao Wen smiled. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Yuqi replied.
The afternoon unfolded like an audition she hadn't agreed to.
Qiao Wen asked questions—sharp ones. She suggested alternatives. She moved through systems with practiced ease.
Yuqi observed quietly, responding when needed, filling gaps when they appeared.
At one point, Li Wei interrupted Qiao Wen mid-sentence.
"That's not how we do it here," he said.
The room stilled.
Yuqi glanced at him.
Qiao Wen recovered smoothly. "Of course. I was only suggesting."
"We'll review suggestions later," he replied.
The message was clear.
Afterward, as Qiao Wen stepped out to take a call, Li Wei turned to Yuqi.
"Are you comfortable with your current workload?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Do you want to stay in this role?"
The question landed unexpectedly.
"Yes," she said without hesitation.
He studied her.
"Then continue as you are," he said. "I value consistency."
That was all.
Later, Qiao Wen left with a polite farewell. The office exhaled collectively.
Lin Xia leaned toward Yuqi. "That was… tense."
Yuqi nodded.
At five-thirty, Li Wei called her in once more.
"They'll ask if you want to transfer departments," he said. "It's optional."
She frowned. "Why?"
"Because you're visible now."
She absorbed that.
"I don't want to transfer," she said.
A pause.
"Good," he replied.
That evening, as she walked home, the city felt louder, brighter.
She hadn't lost her seat.
Not today.
But she understood now—it wasn't guaranteed.
And for the first time, she realized she wasn't just passing through this job.
She was choosing it.